I have to admit, cutting ribbons at grand openings was not a part of the Lieutenant Governor’s job that I was looking forward to. I generally believe that people who do not work for the circus should not be walking around with 24-inch high pairs of scissors, and in any event I was not one of the top performers in pre-school at scissors exercises. But I have actually found the ribbon-cutting duties to be a great part of the job, because it has given me chance to get a first-hand look at some of the really outstanding new things that are happening in Delaware. This week has been a perfect example.
Monday was the ribbon-cutting at the new Delaware Children’s Museum at the Wilmington Riverfront (which will officially open in April). This is going to be a great facility where kids will have fun and learn a lot, and it is going to be a huge part of the economic revival of the Wilmington Riverfront. It is also an inspiring success story–this project was started by a small group of parents about a decade ago, and they just kept plugging away until it was done.
Monday night, I headed up to Widener Law School to help open its new wing dedicated to clinical legal services. It was a real homecoming for me–eighteen years ago, I started my legal career at the Widener clinic, working there by day & traveling around to church basements, homeless shelters, and senior centers by night to meet my clients. When I worked there eighteen years ago it was four dusty offices on the ground floor of the student dormitories, now it is a real part of the law school. But perhaps most importantly, it gives the clinic programs room to expand. Part of my unfinished business in the Lieutenant Governor’s office is working with the private sector to create a clinical program to provide legal assistance to the parents of disabled children.
Wednesday, I headed down to the UAW headquarters on Old Baltimore Pike in Newark to help them celebrate the opening of the new resource center they have created there for unemployed Delawareans looking for work. It was funded by Astra Zeneca, and A-Z’s national president took the time to come to the grand opening himself.
Finally, on Thursday, in honor of Cubs great Ernie Banks, I said “let’s play two!”. First I stopped in at an event set up by State Representative Val Longhurst to provide pre-programmed cell phones to disabled users of Delaware’s paratransit services who might be stranded and need assistance. Verizon generously provided the phones and the training. And Thursday night I joined the heads of Dupont, Bank of America, and many other local corporations to celebrate the opening of the new wing of Easter Seals in New Castle–a terrific new home for a terrific organization that has profoundly changed the lives of thousands of Delaware families.
The common denominator with all of these events was the generosity of individuals and families in Delaware during these incredibly difficult economic times. When I was sworn in back in January, one of the things I said was that I thought this economic crisis would bring our community closer together, and that we would emerge from it stronger than ever as a result of learning how important it is to care for one another. Events like the ones I got to participate in this week have convinced me of this more than ever.
